Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Thursday March 12, 2009

President Barack Obama said today he’d name Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Gina McCarthy to be assistant administrator for Air and Radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency.
McCarthy recently announced she was being vetted for the job.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she wishes McCarthy well.
“Her leadership on climate issues is nationally respected, so it comes as no surprise that the Obama administration would reach out to Commissioner McCarthy, a dedicated public servant with tremendous talent and passion. While we certainly would hate to lose her in Connecticut, it is reassuring to know she would be working to preserve and improve the environment for all Americans.”

Wednesday March 11, 2009

Yikes, there were some bad feelings flying around the Capitol today.
And even though it’s an esoteric issue of state laws on religious corporations going back to 1866, Roman Catholics won the PR war, winding up parishioners from throughout the state who, at points outside the Capitol in a noon rally, were a couple burning stakes away from a witch roast.
Even the rendition of “America the Beautiful” had a hard edge on it. Signs included “Leave Our Church Alone” and Connecticut Usurps the Sole Right of the Pope and Bishops to Govern the Catholic Church” and “This is Not China.”
The Blogser, for one, is looking forward eagerly to Attorney General Dick Blumenthal’s eventual dissection of exisiting state law on church incorporation.

March 10, 2009

We’re all for separating church and state, right? Heck, our license plates still say “Constitution State” down on the bottom. So what’s more red, white and blue than protesting the proposed change in Roman Catholic corporation law?
Well, for starters, the bill’s dead. But that’s not going to stop Catholics from throughout the state descending on the Capitol tomorrow. .
That’s fine and dandy. But not so fast. If there’s a separation of church and state, why do the church incoporation statutes date back to 1866? Why is there a 1955 carve-out for Catholics and other so-called heirarchical denominations? Why did we ever pass any laws on religious corporations in the first place? Aren’t they all unconstitutional?-
So how about this for a special money-making license plate for the state of Connecticut, when DMV Commissioner Bob Ward gets back from tomorrow’s kidney-transplate surgery with his brother: a new plate that says “Connecticut Violating the Constitution Since 1866″?

Tuesday March 10, 2009

The Blogster was wrapped up yesterday in the fulminating argument over the separation of Catholics and Connecticut law, and couldn’t wait any longer for the closed-door House Democratic caucus to break up well after 5 p.m.
So we were spared reporting on the actual fruits of an exercise that everyone in the Capitol knows was ordered to merely illustrate the need for higher taxes to help bail the state out of the budget mess.
College campuses closing, laying off State Troopers, closing state parks are among the multi-billion dollar list that the Appropriations Committee co-chairs concocted.
Now that it’s out there – and virtually put on the inside pages of the newspapers because of the Catholic controversy – maybe the General Assembly and Gov. Jodi Rell can finally engage. Posturing aside, both sides are waiting for the grim news of April 15 to set the stage.
Sparing gentle readers of the draconian details of the cuts, what follows below is the Democrat’s PR on the release of the committee confection.

“HOUSE DEMOCRATS SAY GOVERNOR’S BUDGET BASED ONLY ON CUTS WILL DEVASTATE CONNECTICUT”

Reject options as unfair to poor and middle class;
Call for new direction and immediate,
bipartisan approach to solutions

House Democrats today released a list of cuts totaling $2.8 billion from the co-chairs of the Appropriations Committee that would be necessary to close the state budget gap without raising taxes or extensive borrowing.

According to the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA), the budget deficit for the biennial is more than $8.7 billion, at least $2.7 billion more than the budget gap that Gov. Rell’s proposed budget addresses. The cuts, which are not being endorsed by majority Democrats, would close the gap between the budget deficit estimates relied upon by the Governor and those certified by OFA.

In a letter to Appropriations Committee chairs Sen. Toni Harp (D-New Haven) and Rep. John Geragosian (D-New Britain), House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) and Senate President Donald E. Williams (D-Brooklyn) said, “Your work gives families, lawmakers and advocates a more accurate picture of what the Governor’s budget would have looked like had she balanced the budget in keeping with her Constitutional requirement to do so. This gives us a more realistic understanding for pursuing solutions that will not cripple the state or inflict even more devastating pain on Connecticut families.

“After review, we agree that this is the wrong way to move forward. Cuts of this magnitude, hurting primarily the poor and the middle class, conflict with fundamental values of fairness. It is clear that addressing an actual budget deficit of $8.8 billion will require a more comprehensive framework than Governor Rell’s approach, with everything on the table as we have consistently said. This includes not only spending cuts, but bringing maximum efficiency to all state programs and agencies, and reducing unfairness and loopholes in our revenue structure – as Governor Rell started to do in her budget through the elimination of certain tax expenditures.”

The Democratic leaders called for immediate, bipartisan discussion with the Republican leadership and the Governor.

“The work you have done is not merely an “exercise” as some have suggested. If we were to follow the governor’s approach, cuts of this magnitude would absolutely be necessary to balance the budget. Legislators and the people of Connecticut need to know this basic truth. We continue to believe, however, that we must work together to find a fairer way to meet the demands of this economic crisis. We will ask to meet immediately with the Republican leadership and the Governor to begin bipartisan discussions now on how to best achieve a balanced budget. These unprecedented times will require sacrifice – but that burden must be shared in the fairest possible way for Connecticut families and businesses.”

In their letter to Democratic leaders, Sen. Harp and Rep. Geragosian wrote, “It is important to note that these proposed cuts are not cuts that we endorse; rather they are cuts that should give you a more accurate picture of what the Governor’s budget would have looked like, had she balanced the budget in keeping with her Constitutional requirement to do so. In other words, these are the magnitude of cuts that would be necessary to close the gap between the deficit estimates relied upon by the Governor and those certified by the Office of Fiscal Analysis
.
“These cuts are in addition to the cuts already found in the Governor’s biennial budget, and do not supplant those that she has already proposed. Although we disagree with many of those cuts, the items in our three proposed scenarios do not supplant cuts the Governor has already proposed to K-12 and higher education, all legislative commissions, watchdog agencies, and healthcare for low-income children, families, seniors, and others.

“In every scenario, unreasonable – and in some cases unconscionable – cuts must be made to services that support our cities and towns, hospitals and colleges, children and seniors. Cuts of this magnitude surely will slow our recovery, and may undermine Connecticut’s economic future.”

March 9, 2009

Senator Toni Harp
Co-Chair Appropriations Committee

Representative John Geragosian
Co-Chair Appropriations Committee

Dear Sen. Harp and Rep. Geragosian:

Thank you for your letter and report of March 9, 2009. We appreciate the difficulty of your charge, and the speed with which you completed the task.

Your work gives families, lawmakers and advocates a more accurate picture of what the Governor’s budget would have looked like had she balanced the budget in keeping with her Constitutional requirement to do so. This gives us a more realistic understanding for pursuing solutions that will not cripple the state or inflict even more devastating pain on Connecticut families.

After review, we agree that this is the wrong way to move forward. Cuts of this magnitude, hurting primarily the poor and the middle class, conflict with fundamental values of fairness. It is clear that addressing an actual budget deficit of $8.8 billion will require a more comprehensive framework than Governor Rell’s approach, with everything on the table as we have consistently said. This includes not only spending cuts, but bringing maximum efficiency to all state programs and agencies, and reducing unfairness and loopholes in our revenue structure – as Governor Rell started to do in her budget through the elimination of certain tax expenditures. The first step in addressing this problem is to acknowledge and confront the true extent of our fiscal shortfall. We hope that Governor Rell will now agree that the deficit we face is far greater than that addressed by her budget. If the governor does not agree that her budget would require the cuts that you have identified in your report, we would ask that she identify the alternative cuts she would make to balance her budget.

The work you have done is not merely an “exercise” as some have suggested. If we were to follow the governor’s approach, cuts of this magnitude would absolutely be necessary to balance the budget. Legislators and the people of Connecticut need to know this basic truth. We continue to believe, however, that we must work together to find a fairer way to meet the demands of this economic crisis. We will ask to meet immediately with the Republican leadership and the Governor to begin bipartisan discussions now on how to best achieve a balanced budget. These unprecedented times will require sacrifice – but that burden must be shared in the fairest possible way for Connecticut families and businesses.

Sincerely,

Christopher G. Donovan Donald E. Williams, Jr.
Speaker of the House Senate President Pro Tempore”

Friday March 6, 2009

And the Judiciary Committee is still only just starting out on the list of people who want to testify in a public hearing that’s now 7-hours long, in the aftermath of last October’s Supreme Court order that Connecticut allow same-sex marriages.
It remains an indendiary issue, but most of the 43 members of the committee have voted with their feet and decamped the Capitol or went back to their offices in the Legislative Office Building.
There are nine lawmakers present, including Sen. Edwin A. Gomes, D-Bridgeport, who is engaging with Peter Wolfgang, the executive director of the anti-gay marriage Family Institute of Connecticut. There are also still 60 people sitting in Room 2-C of the LOB, watching the sometimes inflammatory testimony and waiting to testify.
So what’s bigger news? A) Only a handful of committee members have bother to hang around to listen to the public? or B) There remains controversy over a law – the state’s civil-union legislation – that has to be rewritten to conform with the high court’s order to enact gay marriage?.

Thursday March 5, 2009

Here’s the long-awaited update of House and Senate caucus salaries, reflecting higher pay grades in the House Democratic tribe after the influx of $120,000 in travel funding, to make up for the sudden loss of money when former staff departed with accrued vacation and sick pay, according to Dana Crompton, financial administrator (who makes $143,648) for the Office of Legislative Management.
The totals were released today by Jim Tracy, personnel administrator for Legislative Management, under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

House Democrats (HDO)
Acock Anthony HDO 50,000
Alfonso Amanda HDO 35,000
Anderson Mary P. HDO 82,865
Bacewicz Luke HDO 39,682
Bednarz David HDO 43,908
Bishop Diana HDO 36,000
Blancato Allison HDO 36,954
Bohn Jeremy HDO 55,000
Bowen Christopher T. HDO 53,000
Chaput John HDO 37,713
Chiara Adam HDO 35,000
Christ Michael A. HDO 80,000
Cicero Georgette HDO 41,298
Clark Jeanne HDO 38,501
Clarke Maree R. HDO 50,057
Collazo Marta HDO 43,671
Daigle Benedict HDO 37,921
Daly Mary Ann HDO 49,399
Das Riju HDO 38,000
Douglas Robert C HDO 76,324
Feinmark Russell Alan HDO 63,174
Figueroa Johnny HDO 59,906
Friis-Mikkelsen John HDO 35,752
Furlow Andrea HDO 35,000
Gerratana Gregory HDO 35,000
Greenfield Jeffrey HDO 116,223
Grimes Lindsay HDO 35,000
Guilbert Kellie M.W. HDO 36,516
Harasymiw Raymond HDO 42,928
Harrington Christine HDO 50,000
Hice Rosemarie HDO 59,494
Higgins Garland HDO 48,845
Hubbard Barry HDO 38,125
Hubbard Jesse P HDO 50,000
Hughes Mary Alice HDO 51,341
Johnson-Martin Luwannia HDO 38,000
Johnston Brie HDO 36,440
Jordan Laura J. HDO 150,000
Juleson-Scopino Kelly HDO 35,000
Knight Jason S HDO 42,852
Kolb Sarah HDO 41,248
Kubeck Diane HDO 45,000
LaFontaine Tracy HDO 46,172
Lombardo Mary Jane HDO 38,006
Macunas Matthew HDO 36,516
Maher Stephen A. HDO 82,054
Marzik Dawn M. HDO 82,598
Mealha Daniele C HDO 40,642
Melita Enrico HDO 85,000
Mounds Laurie B. HDO 61,510
Murphy Todd HDO 79,260
Murray Christian HDO 85,000
Nassi Joshua HDO 110,000
Neal Ken HDO 35,000
Negron Alberto HDO 66,338
Niles Dawn M. HDO 68,600
Nunez Paul HDO 75,000
Olechowski Marcin HDO 37,652
Ozols Melissa HDO 50,000
Pantoja Tanya HDO 41,359
Passaro Cara HDO 45,000
Perosino Larry F. HDO 85,000
Phillips Jeanie HDO 39,248
Rosario Jessica B. HDO 41,212
Ryan E. Rose HDO 60,000
Saccente Kenneth HDO 64,501
Scott Christy HDO 115,000
Shaw Jeffrey HDO 37,611
Sidorak Steve HDO 35,585
Skowera Adam HDO 37,878
Smullen Harold HDO 42,212
Stula Fred HDO 41,212
Thomas Kyle HDO 35,000
Torres-Ferguson Mildred HDO 110,000
Tracey Robin G. HDO 46,346
Tsarkov Alex HDO 36,440
Turco Gary HDO 52,237
Velez David HDO 42,000
Wegele Shannon HDO 65,000
Whiting Douglas HDO 165,000
Zelaya Ciro HDO 37,685

House Republicans (HRO)
Adams Christopher R HRO 91,128
Anderson Mark J. HRO 71,995
Ayala Antonio C HRO 66,910
Berner Bree M. HRO 92,700
Bookwalter James HRO 37,036
Brett Phyllis H. HRO 75,705
Conroy Valerie HRO 88,065
DiCarlo John HRO 60,504
Dillon Marc HRO 51,500
Dombrowski Mary V HRO 32,826
Dooley John HRO 46,838
Downes Michael HRO 67,151
Evarts Michael HRO 77,189
Ferrari Mark HRO 50,408
Figueroa Nellie A. HRO 61,953
Fryxell Christopher HRO 35,000
Gallo George HRO 149,000
Getsie Dorothy J HRO 61,640
Healey John J HRO 71,070
Holbrook Sarah HRO 61,532
Hutton Deborah L HRO 144,000
Maloney Jennifer HRO 92,000
Mancinelli Tracy HRO 35,000
O’Connell James HRO 36,050
O’Neil Patrick HRO 97,000
Rell Michael L. HRO 70,565
Riley Cliddie HRO 44,148
Roy Susan E HRO 43,391
Roy Lisa HRO 55,015
Santangelo Joseph A HRO 98,000
Schmitt Jared HRO 82,500
Schuetz Jason R HRO 51,396
Schweitzer Marie HRO 57,288
Stark Jason HRO 65,000
Sundie Bryan HRO 42,500
Urso Maureen HRO 45,088
Vamos John HRO 43,221
Wilde Mark HRO 35,704
Williams David J. HRO 52,022
Wolfe Ryan HRO 35,000

Senate Democrats (SDO)

Bannon Elizabeth SDO 38,000
Beccaro William P SDO 58,868
Berlyn Dina B SDO 63,915
Bordner Chatham M. SDO 53,683
Bowsza Jason SDO 37,920
Brathwaite Shwana SDO 38,004
Breiner Kirstin SDO 34,894
Buchanan Linda S SDO 63,036
Buckley Melissa SDO 74,000
Buffington Deborah I SDO 76,742
Caron Jacqueline SDO 54,275
Cook Lawrence SDO 71,576
Cullinan Courtney SDO 52,399
Davis Gregg SDO 56,968
Donovan Wendy SDO 46,152
Dorsey Heather SDO 34,898
Driscoll Susan SDO 40,711
Falkowski Jaclyn SDO 47,993
Gavigan Teresa S SDO 67,749
Giannaros Elizabeth SDO 36,032
Goldman Joseph SDO 38,004
Goldschmidt Melissa P. SDO 56,153
Graff Kevin P. SDO 147,160
Grotheer Laurence SDO 65,896
Haddad Gregory S. SDO 108,965
Havelin Robin SDO 49,474
Kelly Robert SDO 38,004
Kiner David SDO 36,115
Kozin Jacqueline SDO 39,334
Kupiec Jared SDO 36,115
Lopes Richard SDO 45,244
MacDonald David SDO 35,854
Mauro Jr. Vincent SDO 91,227
McHugh Maureen SDO 38,004
Merisotis Emanuel SDO 57,678
Michael Eleanor SDO 64,000
Miller William D SDO 64,863
Mongillo Art SDO 47,856
O’Brien Dean SDO 48,768
O’Brien Leslie SDO 106,404
Palmer Stephen SDO 36,115
Perras Jimmy SDO 76,745
Quinn Jr Joseph SDO 170,718
Rising Josh SDO 63,963
Rudikoff Joel I SDO 130,625
Salemi Kathleen SDO 39,626
Salemi Nicholas C SDO 54,659
Santiago Jacqueline SDO 42,066
Scalettar Ellen SDO 137,967
Severance Mark SDO 45,044
Silverman Phyllis SDO 60,455
Slap Derek SDO 109,232
Smith Carla C. SDO 68,188
Smith Tasha SDO 43,976
Somerville Taylor SDO 39,334
Spinella Thomas SDO 38,004
Stefon Laura SDO 42,542
Storm Joshua SDO 50,510
Strand Carl SDO 34,894
Sweeney Liam SDO 38,004
Tarbox Paul SDO 36,032
Thomas Laneka SDO 53,560
Toohey Pamela SDO 40,710
Towbin Linda M. SDO 71,355
Wagner Natalie S. SDO 77,250
Walker Michele R SDO 53,444
Westerberg Emily SDO 43,065
Wimbish Lloyd E. SDO 83,227
Wojcik Joshua SDO 39,334
Wolf Timothy D. SDO 105,470
Woodcock G. Andrew SDO 37,050
Zipadelli Shirley S. SDO 38,472

Senate Republicans (SRO)

Anderson Kimberly SRO 43,642
Bassermann Stephen SRO 33,000
Cappiello David SRO 103,000
Cody Brett SRO 99,910
Cogswell Gregg SRO 33,990
Cronin Michael J SRO 99,327
Deschenes Peggy SRO 85,490
Ferro Jaclyn SRO 38,934
Fleming Yvette D. SRO 67,233
Fletcher Christopher M. SRO 39,501
Gargiulo Justin SRO 93,934
Godfrey Allison SRO 44,558
Goodwine Michael SRO 41,043
Grant William SRO 73,112
Grasso Daniel SRO 49,123
Higgins Katelyn A SRO 55,509
Holleran Lena A. SRO 58,859
Kenneally Katherine SRO 41,773
Kennedy Elaine SRO 41,315
Krautler Patricia A. SRO 68,687
Kupchick Brenda SRO 46,000
Lauria Carrie-Lyn SRO 37,888
Lemieux Jr Joseph SRO 60,237
Macierowski Jennifer A SRO 128,750
MacKenzie Hugh SRO 86,224
Makuc Jaime J SRO 51,577
O’Keefe Mary Kathryn SRO 56,079
Pimentel Paul SRO 151,000
Poudrier Jr. Robert A. SRO 91,231
Reese Rachel SRO 46,500
Ruppar Katherine SRO 41,773
Sarault Catherine E. SRO 95,610
Shannon John W SRO 126,500
Swanson Elisabeth SRO 35,707
Titsworth John D. SRO 69,348
Utter Randa SRO 68,671
Vecchitto John SRO 62,763
Wysocki Jennifer L. SRO 33,500

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Opposition from some lawmakers on the Transportation Committee yesterday to a bill that would allow towns and cities to set up traffic-surveillance cameras, makes the Blogster wonder how THEIR driving is. This has been one of those bills that has been annually killed off for years, amid claims that it’s a potential invasion of privacy.
The Blogster argues that when motorists violate the law, like speeding, driving recklessly, or running a red light, their privacy should be surrendered.
Rep. John Harkins, in arguing with a representative of state police chiefs who favor the law as a public-safety measure at a time when motorists are crazier than ever, set forth a hypothetical of teenagers making a copy of another’s license plate, then taping it over the plate of their vehicle before driving out and committing traffic violations. The ticket would come to the unwitting car owner.
Well, t’s AGAINST THE LAW to misuse a plate.
It’ll be interesting to see how this bill, which is also being sold as a revenue enhancer in this grim budget year, may get killed this year.

Wednesday March 4, 2009

The Blogster’s thinking today about how broke towns and cities are after the latest snow storm. One way for Bridgeport mayor Bill Finch to save some money would be to take the Jasper McLevy route. McLevy, you’ll recall, was Bridgeport’s famous Socialist mayor. He’s the guy who said “God put it there, God can take it away” as a strategy to let the snow melt naturally without plowing.
How does Hall of Fame Coach Jim “Not One Dime Back” Calhoun fit into this?
Calhoun, whose arrogance last month became so apparent in that now-infamous news conference, is also responsible for so many Connecticut kids getting turned down at the Storrs campus.
In recent years, as more out-of-state kids have applied to UConn, standards have risen. That’s OK, I guess, although lawmakers say they are trying to get state graduates to stay in Connecticut and prevent the brain drain.
Calhoun put the out-of-state students here. Calhoun can take them away, with another first-round NCAA loss or two.